


Hello, Seattle

by bobbiejelly



Series: MerAdd My Heart <3 [17]
Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Boarding School, Boarding School, F/F, Fluff, Inspired by Grey's Anatomy, MerAdd, maddison - Freeform, meddison
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:47:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23480440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bobbiejelly/pseuds/bobbiejelly
Summary: Addison Montgomery meets Meredith Grey when they are both only 9 years old. OR: In which Addison introduces herself to Meredith, who pulls her into a hug, "Addison, it's so good to see you! It's been way too long". Addison hugs her back to whisper into her ear "I've missed you, Meredith,". MerAdd. Meddison. Boarding School Childhood Roommates to Teenage Romance AU. Rated T, now.
Relationships: Meredith Grey/Addison Montgomery
Series: MerAdd My Heart <3 [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1687834
Comments: 11
Kudos: 12





	1. Chapter 1: In Which We Meet Addison, and Addison Meets Meredith

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Reviewer_only](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reviewer_only/gifts), [EmyLilas](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmyLilas/gifts), [anonymous_sibyl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/anonymous_sibyl/gifts), [lydialyn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lydialyn/gifts), [giuu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/giuu/gifts), [SHIELDRomanoffMay](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SHIELDRomanoffMay/gifts), [punky_96](https://archiveofourown.org/users/punky_96/gifts), [Jennifer-Oksana (JenniferOksana)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JenniferOksana/gifts), [LordofLezzies](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LordofLezzies/gifts), [TheQueenOfPassiveAggressiva](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheQueenOfPassiveAggressiva/gifts), [addiesbaby](https://archiveofourown.org/users/addiesbaby/gifts), [alanabloom](https://archiveofourown.org/users/alanabloom/gifts).
  * Inspired by [young blood](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1802695) by [alanabloom](https://archiveofourown.org/users/alanabloom/pseuds/alanabloom). 
  * Inspired by [Dog Days Are Over](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6032770) by [alanabloom](https://archiveofourown.org/users/alanabloom/pseuds/alanabloom). 
  * Inspired by [sunshine songs](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7740049) by [alanabloom](https://archiveofourown.org/users/alanabloom/pseuds/alanabloom). 



> Throwing my hat in the ring for a boarding school AU of Meredith and Addison growing up from friends to maybe something more. Let me know if this is something you want!
> 
> -Gifted to Alanabloom, and 2 of that author's works are listed as "inspired works" because this story was inspired by a combination of "Young Blood" and it's sequels, and "Dog Days Are Over", my favorite Vauseman Fanfic OF ALL TIME, as well as "Sunshine Songs" for Ghost Busters, and I wanted to try to give meddison the beautiful alternate universe treatment that I so love this author for.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Addison Montgomery is only nine years old when she first meets Meredith Grey, who is also only nine years old, just like she is. 

* * *

**Hello, Seattle.**

* * *

_Addison Montgomery meets Meredith Grey when they are both only 9 years old. OR: In which Addison introduces herself to Meredith, who pulls her into a hug, "Addison, it's so good to see you! It's been way too long". Addison hugs her back to whisper into her ear "I've missed you, Meredith,". MerAdd. Meddison. Boarding School Childhood Roommates to Teenage Romance AU. Rated T, now._

* * *

**PROLOGUE:**

**_“I’m so sorry Meredith,” Derek says with a start as Meredith looks at him confused._ **

**_The woman walking in smiles at him cheekily before she looks at the younger woman with quite a start._ **

**_“Addison Shepherd” the redhead offers out her hand for Meredith to shake it and Meredith just looks stunned and raises her eyebrows up again at the “Shepherd” part before she even reaches out to the other woman’s hand to take it._ **

**_“And you must be the woman who’s been screwing my husband” Addison offers with a smirk._ **

**_But before they could either of them say anything more, Addison’s lips went to Meredith’s and she pecked her closed-mouth kiss quick and dirty before she retreats back to Meredith’s side and she smiles._ **

**_“We went to boarding school together” Meredith explains off of Derek’s completely shocked and skeptical look._ **

**_“We were roommates since like the fourth grade” Addison laughs as if that made any sense at all._ **

**_“We haven't seen each other since high school graduation” Meredith tries to explain._ **

**_“We got matched at different medical schools and we never looked back,” Addison says sadly._ **

**_“I can’t believe you got married!” Meredith exclaims and she’s not even as angry as anyone would expect her to be after a tall leggy redhead walked right on into her conversation between her and her boyfriend to say_ **

**_‘Addison Shepherd, and you must be the woman who’s been screwing my husband’._ **

**_“I can’t believe you pretended not to know me for a split second there,” says Addison with a giggle._ **

**_“How could I ever forget you” Meredith looks at Addison with a sad and longing ache._ **

**_“Meredith.... I’m still sorry you know” Addison says to her compassionately._ **

**_“I’m so sorry too, Addie,” Meredith says sadly as she looks at Derek and back at Addison again._ **

**_“You really didn’t know?” Addison asks her honestly, figuring out the answer pretty quickly when Meredith shrugs her shoulders silently._ **

**_“Well I guess I can forgive you for this” Meredith laughs as she reaches her hand out to hug Addison again._ **

**_“I wish you could forgive me for all of it, Mer” Addison sighs as she pulls Meredith tight up against her._ **

**_“I’m still in love with you Addie,” Meredith admits boldly. “I was still in love with you then and I’m still in love with you now” Meredith sighs as if she were confessing a crime._ **

**_“I’m still in love with you too” Addison answers her back solemnly as Meredith’s eyes perk up at her in truth. “I always was then and I never wasn’t, never ever even in the moments when I pretended that way” Addison admits to both Meredith and herself._ **

**_“I think we both have a lot to talk about” Meredith offers. “There’s a bar just down the street from here,” she says excitedly._ **

**_“That sounds like a great idea” Addison smiles at her and she wraps her arm around Meredith’s shoulder as Meredith pulls her closer in by the waist._ **

**_“But that’s the bar where we met” Derek pleads with the women, and their eyes snap back to him suddenly as if they’d forgotten he even existed._ **

**_“That was the bar where Meredith you were the girl and I was the guy and we- And Addison how could you come here and take away Meredith from me and how could you have hidden this from me all this time”_ **

**_Derek blinks his McDreamy dark eyes at the both of them and they tell him they’ll tell him some other time._ **

**_And Derek is staring in between them now._ **

**_And Derek is saying to his wife “Addison” and he’s wondering whether she will be the one to come home to him._ **

**_And Derek is saying to his girlfriend “Meredith” and he’s whether she will be the one to come home to him._ **

**_And both of the women look up at each other and then up at Derek then down at the floor._ **

**_And neither Meredith nor Addison will ever be the same once they know what the other is about to do next._ **

**_*****_ **

* * *

**Chapter 1: In Which We Meet Addison, and Addison Meets Meredith**

* * *

_Addison Montgomery is only nine years old when she first meets Meredith Grey, who is also only nine years old, just like she is._

* * *

_Over Twenty Years Earlier:_

Addison Montgomery is only nine years old when she first meets Meredith Grey, who is also only nine years old, just like she is. 

Her mother, Bizzy Forbes, and her father, ‘The Captain’ Montgomery had decided that she and Archer deserved a better education than the one that any public or even private school their state could offer them. So they sent her away to Boston where she’d spend the better part of her childhood at a sleep-away boarding school out on the edge of the country. There she could study and stay and have teachers and classes and boyfriends and she could be raised by herself because both of her parents were much too upscale to be bothered by trying to do such a thing as to raise her and her twin brother by themselves.

So they packed up their bags as they sent them well on their way. So now to the world yet so old to be told goodbye, they sat hand in hand at the registration counter saying their own sad goodbyes to each other as they’d live apart from here for the first time in their lives. 

Alderbridge private was the partnered school for boys and girls where Meredith and Addison were going to school, while the Embreon English academy was the place that her brother was going to be boarded across the city. Archer started school a few days later so he came to say goodbye to Addison as they dropped her off here and he left with their parents.

They had wanted to stay together, but their parents insisted that Addison go to a science school and Archer go to an English school and pursue their own passions, and grow up separately too. So Addison and Archer reluctantly said their parting words. “Bye-bye Archie,” Addison said. “You too, Addie,” her brother said back. And that’s when Addison could take in their surroundings.

They would have a shared recreation center, a pool, and a library but they’d be all alone from each other in their classes, their cafeterias and their dorms and they would only get to see each other really on the weekends. So they say their goodbyes for now as a counselor leads Archer Forbes Montgomery off to his new dorm. 

And for the first time in what feels like forever, Addison Adrienne Forbes Montgomery feels like the loneliest girl in the whole entire world. 

“Hello, my name is Meredith” a smaller, blonde girl sits next to her on the step as she offers out her hand to shake it. 

“My name is Meredith Grey, and you must be the girl who’s been assigned to be my first housemate” she adds until it settles and Addison is starting to see why this girl is now talking to her and it seems to all make more sense. 

“Addison Montgomery” she shakes the girl’s hand back. “So show me the way to our new dorm room I guess” she smiles and Meredith seems to be smiling right back.

“Here I’ll help you take your stuff and I'm here to lead the way” Meredith offers out her hand. And Addison takes it as Meredith walks with her just down the hall to a small bedroom. It's fully furnished, with a double-sized bunk bed set on one side, two desks and two chairs on the other, their own private bathroom and their own private closets. 

They’ve got lamps on the dresser nightstands by their bedsides and light on the ceiling and they each have a bookshelf set. There’s a plush rug in the middle with two bean bag chairs laid out and even a small kitchenette with a microwave, a sink, a toaster oven, a kettle, cups and cutlery and dishes. 

To Addison Montgomery it looked just like a tiny house, one twenty-two foot space they would be sharing for at least their first term and decided she was going to like it, she thought. She got to be all grown up just like her brother and she didn’t even have to tell her parents what time she went to bed at night. 

“I don’t know why you’re here but I’ll tell you why I’m here” Meredith sits on one of the beanbag chairs now and Addison sets her stuff down to do the same.

“My mother’s name is Doctor Ellis Grey and my daddy’s name is Thatcher Grey. I think she’s still secretly in love with her old boyfriend, my uncle Doctor Richard Webber but she never says so when I ask her” she begins. 

“So my parents love medicine and they also love me. So when I finally got old enough to go to boarding school they decided to send me here because they know I like science and this is the only school in the country that has science labs for even the elementary school students” Meredith explains.

“It’s still my first year here like you but I’ve been here since yesterday since my mom’s at a conference in LA about something called ‘Surgical Innovation’ and my dad’s doing research and he’s gotta go get a new grant” she explains. 

“So I’ll help you move all your stuff in if you want before I show you where the cafeteria is where we all eat our dinner,” she says. 

And efficiently and quietly as they can be when they’re nine years old, Meredith Grey and Addison Montgomery move in with each other like that as they line the bookshelves with Harry Potter readers, fill their desks with their pens and they spread their clothing into the closets and dressers before putting their toothbrushes by the sink. 

“The last thing I wanted to ask you was which bunk bed you wanted” Meredith finally said softly. “I never actually slept here before because my room wasn’t ready so I just dropped off my stuff last night and they had me stay in one of the guest suites. So whichever one you want you can have and I’ll take the other I don’t mind I’m not picky” Meredith offers generously. 

“Well I don’t know which one is better anyway because me and Archer my brother we don’t have bunk beds so what do you say we each try them both out for a few nights so we can just see what sticks with us,” says Addison with a smile. 

And it’s that thousand-watt smile that Meredith always smiles back when she’s around her new friend Addison that makes it sincere when she agrees with her to share. 

**And they decide that before anything and everything that they are both going to be the best of friends for forever.**

  
  


* * *

  
  


_*_

_*_

_*_

_*_

_*_

******* END OF CHAPTER ONE**

* * *

  
  



	2. In Which Addison Misses Archer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You know, this is the first time I ever got to decide what to eat by myself” Addison exclaimed excitedly. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: So after thinking it over, I’ve decided to exclusively continue this story in the “Before”. The “After” part of the prologue was only to set the context of how they first met, and the rest of the story will be about Addison and Meredith growing up in boarding school together. The basis for this decision is that I’m actively writing “Falling Apart, Barely Breathing” which is pretty much the same thing about Addison and Meredith’s story when it comes to Seattle Grace Time, and I don’t want there to be confusion or overlap. I want this theme and focus to be on youth and growing up. So thanks all for your reviews and I hope you’ll continue on this journey!

* * *

**Hello, Seattle**

* * *

_Addison Montgomery meets Meredith Grey when they are both only 9 years old. OR: In which Addison introduces herself to Meredith, who pulls her into a hug, "Addison, it's so good to see you! It's been way too long". Addison hugs her back to whisper into her ear "I've missed you, Meredith,". MerAdd. Meddison. Boarding School Childhood Roommates to Teenage Romance AU. Rated T, now._

* * *

**Chapter 2: In Which Addison Misses Archer**

* * *

“So this is the cafeteria” Meredith leads Addison into the lineup and points to the menu screen that is displayed up above their heads. 

“You pick one meal and one side and one dessert and one drink every day” Meredith explains to her. “Then the soup and salad bar is over there” she points to a station located near the microwaves and the drinks fountain. 

Both Addison and Meredith end up picking the Macaroni and Cheese with french fries and a side salad and they settle down to a table by themselves before realizing they’d forgotten their drinks and cutlery. 

“I’ll get it,” Addison offers. “You’ve already helped out a lot,” she explains. So Addison goes to pick out a knife and a fork and a napkin for each of them before pausing to also collect them each a glass of water. 

“Thanks” Meredith grins up at her, and Addison grins at her back. 

  
  


* * *

  
  


It’s overwhelming, the amount of young and less young children all scurrying around. There are teachers and dorm monitors everywhere as well, sitting on the edge tables and chatting with each other while keeping an eye out for anyone who needs help.

Soon they are flipping spare ketchup packets at each other and stealing more than one dessert each before they get hyped up on sugar and the soda they mix from the fountain dispenser,

“You know, this is the first time I ever got to decide what to eat by myself” Addison exclaimed excitedly. 

“Didn’t you ever go to restaurants?” Meredith asks with a look that’s a cross between confused and perplexed. 

  
“Well yeah, we went out to places like “The Boca” and “Taste of Italy” on my parent’s birthdays but me and Archer, my brother, never got to pick out our meals because we all shared them” Addison explains.

“Didn’t you ever go to places like McDonald’s or Subway or Taco Bell?” Meredith asks her because those are the only restaurants that _her_ mom and dad had ever taken her to. If her parents ever went to other restaurants it certainly was not with _her._

“No I have never been to somewhere called McDonald's or any of those other places” Addison shakes her head. “When we go out to dinner it’s usually Italian and my parents do the “A La Carte” menu, you know, with the wine pairings. Not that I drink the wine but they do” Addison smiles.

“Well it’s not _called_ McDonald’s it just _is_ McDonald’s,” Meredith says at her a little bit exasperated at her. “But anyway that’s my favorite restaurant because I get to have chicken nugget happy meals and go to the play place. It’s like a playground but indoors” Meredith explains to her because Addison starts looking confused when she mentions she could play _inside_ of a restaurant. 

“Wow! I think I’d like to try that sometime it seems like the best restaurant ever. We only go to boring places that take too long for the food to comer” Addison perks up. And once Addison is smiling again Meredith decides that she’s happy too.

* * *

“I’m done with my dinner. Do you wanna go to the library and look at the movies before we go back to the room?” 

“Yeah” Addison agrees with her and she follows Meredith who is leading the way, again.

Someday, Addison hopes, she’ll be able to lead Meredith somewhere she knows better than her in return.

They pick out some movies, failing to decide between “Home Alone 2” (Meredith’s Choice) and “Finding Nemo” (Addison’s choice). So they end up taking them both out on their library cards and hoping they can find a way to play them on the small TV in their room they both share.

They’re on the beanbag chairs now, pressing play when they realize they can hardly see the screen from this angle. So they both crawl into the top bunk of the bunk bed and snuggle close to share the instant popcorn they popped (a gift from Meredith’s father) and listen to the jokes roll out of the character’s lines. 

It’s nearly nine pm now and Meredith has hardly stayed up past eight-thirty when she’s home. So she curls into the sheets and falls asleep on Addison’s lap before the credits roll on their second movie. 

After Addison pops the disc out and takes the popcorn bag out of their bed, Addison sighs as she takes a look up at Meredith who looks so peaceful and warm on the top bunk of their bed. 

She feels an urge to crawl into bed next to her, but she doesn’t, deciding that she doesn’t want to crowd Meredith in case she rolls in her sleep or something.

So she resigns herself to the bottom bunk for the evening and tries to settle in under the covers. 

* * *

  
  


But sleep doesn’t come, and without the calming presence that Meredith’s chatter seems to offer, Addison feels herself growing even lonelier than before.  
  
She misses her brother Archer. She even misses her mom and her dad even though they never got along really well. And she misses her nanny Susan Grant and wishes that her mom had let Addison go over to her house to say goodbye before they’d left for school.

And she realizes she’s crying now, as she thinks of everyone she’s left behind. And she thinks about what her mother would say - that _“A Forbes-Montgomery should never cry openly in public, they should do so only in the privacy of their own room”_. 

And she thinks her mother meant they should cry _alone_ in their own room. But Meredith and Addison only had one room anyways to share between them. And Addison didn’t want to lock herself in the bathroom on the floor.

So she just kept on crying and crying until she heard a bit of a stir from up above her and a blonde head poked down over the edge of the bed. 

“Hey, are you okay?” Meredith asks her tenderly.

“Yeah I’m okay” Addison lies as she tries to cover her face with her sheet.

“You don’t sound okay,” Meredith says to her simply as Addison sobs even louder.

“Hey - Hey - It’s okay” Meredith jumps down from the top bunk bed now and comes to curl into Addison at her side. 

Addison lets Meredith hug her and place her head on her shoulder while Addison lays her head on top of Meredith’s.

“I cried my first night here too,” Meredith says and somehow this seems to help. 

“Yeah?” Addison asks her.

“Yeah” Meredith admits to her openly.

“But I didn’t stop crying until I woke up. Because I didn’t have anyone else last night” Meredith says to her softly. “And I got through it. So you’ll get through it. You can always lean on me, ya know” Meredith says to her, in the literal sense, but Addison sort of knows what she means.

“I’m so glad you’re here, Meredith,” Addison says to her. 

“I’m so glad you’re here too,” says Meredith. “Now, ya wanna tell me all about your twin brother?” Meredith grins up at her. 

And Addison can’t help but laugh as she starts the conversation that would go on into deeper parts of the evening. 

* * *

*

*

*

*

*

***** **END OF CHAPTER 2**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well here's chapter two, lots of little kid fluff. hope you enjoy a slow burn... Have a good one !


	3. Chapter 3.2: In Which School Begins, TAKE TWO

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meredith and Addison begin classes at Alderbridge Boarding School.  
> They meet a teacher, a dorm minder as well as their NEW, NEW CLASSMATES (different than before!)  
> THIS IS A NECESSARY REMAKE OF CHAPTER 3!
> 
> This chapter is dedicated to @addiesbaby who helped me come up with this decision to ease the logical fallacies.  
> Read on to know more !

_Author's Note 0:_ _(Which I recommend actually reading for the story to make sense)_

This chapter has been changed to change the classmates at the school.

This has been done in consultation with readers (one in particular, thanks) who pointed out continuity errors.

Therefore this way will make more sense. If you have already read chapter 3; still read at least the end again before chapter 4.

Changed parts are in BOLD

Thanks for your patience with this inconvenience, I hope this will launch the story forward now!

_bobbiejelly_

* * *

**Hello, Seattle**

* * *

_Addison Montgomery meets Meredith Grey when they are both only 9 years old. OR: In which Addison introduces herself to Meredith, who pulls her into a hug, "Addison, it's so good to see you! It's been way too long". Addison hugs her back to whisper into her ear "I've missed you, Meredith,". MerAdd. Meddison. Boarding School Childhood Roommates to Teenage Romance AU. Rated T, now._

* * *

**Chapter 3.2: In Which School Begins - NEW**

* * *

The following morning, the girls wake up to the sound of their alarm at 7:30.

They quickly get dressed in their band-new school uniforms.

For Meredith, this means a pantsuit with a white shirt, blue blazer, and tie.

For Addison, this means a skirt and tights with a white shirt, blue blazer, and tie.

"Your tie is on backward" Addison giggles as she tugs gently on Meredith's tie.

"SERIOUSLY?!" Meredith sighs, wishing she could tie the tie as well as Addison can.

Addison's deft fingers have already weaved her own tie into a perfect square knot.

Meanwhile, Meredith can hardly follow the instructions from her school manual in order.

"Here, let me," Addison says with a small brush of Meredith's shoulder.

"MKay" But just because you're better" Meredith agrees as Addison undoes the tie.

Addison tightens it into a knot the same way she has her own as Meredith raises her eyebrows.

"How did you get so good at that?" Meredith asks of Addison.

"This is not my first rodeo with ties and blazers" Addison explains.

"We would always have to wear them to charity galas, Archer and I" she explains.

"Wow!" says Meredith. "We never went to these - or at least I haven't. My mom did with Richard"

"So did you stay with your dad then," Addison says gently, sensing discomfort.

"Yeah," Meredith says softly. "My parents didn't get along well. Richard Webber is more, my dad"

"I'm sorry to hear that," Addison says to her with a look that would be comically serious,

Meredith matched her serious gaze. Comically serious for two nine-year-olds at least.

"There, all done," Addison says to Meredith as she tugs Meredith's tie again lightly as a joke.

"Thanks!" Meredith says, stepping in front of the mirror.

They brush their teeth and pack their school bags before heading out to the cafeteria again.

* * *

For the second day in a row, Meredith and Addison sit next to each other for a meal.

They are pressed together rather close, whispering to each other in anticipation.

They are reading from the class manual that is in front of their agendas.

This is their first day of classes and the first time that they will be with other students.

They have the same timetable - Math, Science, Geography - Lunch - French then English

All of their subjects repeat the same way most days, and they have gym class after last period.

After gym, they have a brief snack break before heading into a workshop - music, art, drama, etc.

And finally after all that there is dinner and they are free to go to their rooms or hang out.

Or the students are allowed to just do homework together or alone or find some fun.

In the evenings sometimes there are extra optional activities or extra sports practices,

Or other events hosted by the school or sponsored by a local business or charity.

But on nights where there is nothing special going on there is still lots to explore.

There are a few common areas around the campus other than the library, they note.

They want to check all of those out as they get to know the school more.

They are making stars and x's on the places they want to explore first,

As they finish up their cereal and toast, drinking their juice before the warning bell rings.

They clear their trays and head off to their first class.

* * *

Their dorm monitor for their year, Mrs. Miranda Bailey, helps them find their room, R401.

There are approximately 10 students in their class, and they are sitting at tables together.

The small class sizes are one of the many "perks" that their parents had picked the school for.

Meredith and Addison find their seats in the room and are slightly disappointed.

They've been assigned to the same table at least, but not the ones that are adjoined.

Seeing as they are the first to arrive in the classroom, they read out the name cards by them.

Reading left to right, their table seats:

**Meg Porter, Pete Wilder, Violet Turner, Cooper Friedman, Charlotte King,**

**Dell Parker, Naomi Bennett, Addison Montgomery, Sam Bennett, Meredith Grey**

The seats are in a big oval shape though, meaning **Meg Porter** is next to **Meredith Grey** , as well.

Reluctantly, Meredith and Addison take their seats one apart from each other and smile up.

They unpack their books as they lean slightly over the table, whispering that at least,

They had not gotten lost because Miranda Bailey was known to be the best dorm minder there.

* * *

The teacher approaches the two girls who have arrived early as they get settled.

Their class has two teachers who work together with their grade.

The first one introduces herself as Dr. Campbell, a Ph.D. in Education.

She says that her colleague will join them in the afternoon to teach the later periods.

When Addison asks who their other teacher will be, Meredith looks shocked at the name.

"Dr. Marie-Cerone was one of my mother's best friends growing up" Meredith whispers.

"But I haven't seen her in like, years," she says exaggeratedly. "Wow, cool," says Addison.

"I wonder what all our classmates are gonna be like," says Meredith with a giggle.

"I hope they're all NICE," says Addison with an emphasis.

"Yeah you're right about THAT," says Meredith back.

"I hope that I'm right!" says Addison to Meredith.

* * *

" **We're gonna stay best of friends though, right Addison? Forever and ever!"**

" **We're going to stay best of friends forever and ever, I promise Meredith," Addison says.**

**They reach under the table to hold hands and give each other a friendly squeeze.**

**This signifies a promise between them, an 'unbreakable bond'.**

**They had no idea what the journey would be like as it lies ahead.**

**But just for that moment, Meredith and Addison felt that no matter who they met next,**

**That absolutely no one, nothing, nothing at all could ever come between them.**

**That their friendship would surpass it all, and that they would be extraordinary together.**

* * *

_Years later, when Meredith felt the slipping away of Addison's hand from her own as she left,_

_Meredith and Addison would flashback to this moment they shared back then. They were nine._

_They were headed off to their first class of boarding school after a hard day's night together._

_They were about to meet the students and staff who would change and shape both their lives._

_And they would never forget how that squeeze of the hand had felt so right back then._

_And how wrong it was feeling now, how Addison squeezed Meredith's hand one last time._

_And that that was the last time the two girls spoke to each other before leaving for Med School_

_And that that was the last time Meredith and Addison ever thought that they'd be together again._

* * *

"This is…" **Sam** lifts up a stray drawing of a bra that Meredith had doodled in her notebook.

"Humiliating on _so many levels_ " Meredith snatches the drawing right out of the boy's hand.

"You have to _go"_ Meredith tries to shoo him away but he doesn't budge from her.

"Why don't you just come back down here and we can just pick up where you left off"

 **Sam** smirks at her, motioning for her to keep doodling the picture of a bra on the floor with him.

"No, seriously. You have to go. YOU are late, which isn't what you wanna be,

On your first day of school. _SO_ -" Meredith tries to shoo him off _again_ as Addison watched.

"So, you actually live here" **the same male student with dark skin and a bald head interrupts.**

"No," Meredith says first. "Oh." He replies with a bit of a confused expression.

"Yes, kind of." Meredith tries to explain she _just_ moved here like, two days ago.

"It's nice. A little dusty" **Sam** doesn't know what to say either. "Odd, but it's nice."

"So how do you _kind of live here_?" **Sam** asks her in question.

"I moved two days ago from Boston" Meredith answers him with a wave.

"It was my mother's idea to start boarding school," she says.

"Oh, I'm sorry" **Sam** says to her sympathetically.

"For what?" Meredith asks him, looking back at Addison again before looking back at him.

"You said ' _was',_ " **Sam** says to her like he's concerned.

"Oh, my mother is not _dead_ " Meredith emphasizes that point a lot.

"You know, we don't have to do the thing - " Meredith starts before he interrupts.

"Oh, we can do anything we want," **Sam** says to her with a grin.

"No- the thing, exchange the details, pretend we care," Meredith says to him.

"Look, I'm going to go to the washroom and getting some water. And when I get back down here,

You won't BE HERE. So, um, _goodbye_ , umm…" Meredith realizes she doesn't know his name.

" **Sam** ," he says his name clearly.

"Right, Meredith" Meredith introduces herself next"

 **Sam** extends his hand in between them, causing them to separate their hands,

So that Meredith can give this **Sam** boy a handshake.

"Meredith" **Sam** repeats.

"Mmmhmm" Meredith says to him nonchalantly.

"Nice meeting you!" **Sam** says as she starts to walk away.

"Bye **Sam** " Meredith starts to skip off to fill both hers and Addison's water bottles.

And **Sam** smiles at her as Meredith walks on by.

And Addison smiles up at Meredith as she leaves the room then.

And then **Sam** finally turns his head over to Addison and introduces himself to her.

"My name is **Sam** ," he says as if she hasn't heard that part already.

"Addison," Addison says to him back, while also taking Meredith's drawing away from him.

Addison hides the drawing Meredith made of a bra inside of her shirt pocket.

And then **Sam** introduces her to another boy who just walked into the room he already knows.

"This is my best friend, his name is **Peter, but he goes by Pete,** " **Sam** says finally to Addison.

And just after Addison says "nice to meet you I'm Addison" and they shake hands too.

As they start to chatter between them, **Pete** and **Sam** and Addison.

They start to see the rest of the students from their class start to file in and take their spots.

 **Meg Porter** is a blown-haired girl who sits down next to Meredith's seat and smiles at Addie.

All the other students from the nameplates in their new class all shuffle by to sit down, too.

By the time that they each have their books and their pencils out the school bell finally rings.

Addison looks worriedly at the door, waiting in earnest for Meredith Grey to return again.

"Take your seats, class", Dr. Campbell, the teacher, says to them all before she knows it.

"Welcome to the _game_ , people. It's time to begin"

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 _*****_ **END OF CHAPTER 3**

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**THANK YOU FOR READING, PLEASE LEAVE A NOTE IT WILL MAKE MY DAY ! :D**

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_Author's Note 2:_

As you may have noticed, this work has now taken a much more crossover turn with "Private Practice" characters than was originally implied in the original "Chapter 3."

This is due to the fact that it would be illogical for Derek to have grown up with Addison and Meredith at boarding school, to marry Addison and then to not tell Meredith, and for him to subsequently date Meredith without telling her about Addison after they had all lived together.

THEREFORE, the plot has now changed to (chronologically) Addison and Meredith grew up in boarding school. Eventually, they may get together as a couple or may remain best friends (TBD.) Somewhere along the way before Medical School, Addison and Meredith have a falling out leading them to not talk to each other for years through their residency.

Meredith goes to Dartmouth College. Addison goes to Columbia in NYC. They don't really stay in touch.

Addison and Derek meet each other at Columbia University. They get married until eventually, Derek starts neglecting Addison and Addison cheats on him with Mark. As in Canon, they date behind Derek's back after he walks away for a few months until Addison falls pregnant with Mark's baby, aborts it and never tells him about it. And then she finally leaves him, deciding she doesn't want Mark.

Meanwhile, Meredith meets Derek on her first day of Seattle Grace and dates him without knowing he is still married to Addison. Eventually, Addison shows up in Seattle, but unbeknownst to Derek they were already friends in boarding school and they want to get to know each other again.

And after that - what will happen with Derek and Meredith? With Derek and Addison? With Addison and Meredith? TUNE IN TO FIND OUT!

And let me know in the comments what you think of these changes.

New chapter 4 to come soon... HOPEFULLY!

_bobbiejelly_

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading all, and let me know if you have any requests.


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